Odisha Guv emphasises promotion of reading

Vijayawada: Governor of Odisha, Dr Kambhampati Haribabu, visited the 36th Vijayawada Book Festival, being held with great grandeur at the Indira Gandhi Municipal Stadium here on Saturday.

The Governor toured various book stalls set up at the venue and interacted with publishers and authors, enquiring about different publications and recent literary works. He showed keen interest in the wide range of books available and appreciated the efforts taken to bring such a large collection under one roof.

Speaking to the media after his visit, Dr Haribabu expressed happiness over the organisation of such a massive book exhibition in Vijayawada with as many as 280 stalls, stating that the availability of books of all genres at a single location is a great boon for book lovers.

Emphasising the importance of reading, the Governor said that despite the growing influence of the Internet, tablets and social media, the satisfaction derived from reading a physical book is unique. “A book is always a book,” he remarked, adding that no technological device can truly replace the experience of reading a printed book. He appealed to people to purchase and read books on subjects of their interest and made a special call to the youth to develop the habit of reading, noting that books play a crucial role in shaping knowledge and character.

The Governor also congratulated the organisers for successfully conducting the grand event. He particularly appreciated Vijayawada Book Festival Society president T. Manohar Naidu, Secretary K. Lakshmaiah, EMSCO Vijay Kumar and other members for their dedicated efforts. Representatives of the Book Festival Society, eminent writers, and a large number of book lovers were present during the visit. The organisers informed that the festival will continue until January 12 and appealed to the public to make the most of this literary celebration.